The exhibit
featuring Father Jozef Murgaš' life and accomplishments was sponsored by the
Slovak Heritage Society and the King’s College Ethnic Community Outreach
Initiative.

Magdalen Benish,
assisted by Bernadette Yencha, chaired this project. Michael Stretanski and
Joseph Kowatch did the exhibit’s design and construction. Magdalen is a
retired bank official and a very efficient administrator, Bernadette is a
retired accounting supervisor who now does the computer work for the Society.
Michael is a retired schoolteacher and has experience in setting up displays. He
did the Society’s displays for many years at the Luzerne County Folk
Festivals. Joseph does antique restoration and photo restoration (company name
is Digital Pix). Rev. Patrick Sullivan is head of the King’s Ethnic Community
Outreach Initiative program.

A steady stream of
visitors passed through the exhibit numbering close to 500 people. 75 children
from Sacred Heart School had a private showing Monday morning and on Monday
evening the attendees of the Slovak Catholic Federation held a vesper service in
King’s College Chapel where the coal altar is located and visited the exhibit.

Father Murgaš was
an artist, architect, botanist, inventor, pioneer in wireless telegraphy, and
scientist, as well as a parish priest - first and foremost. Father was also, an
avid collector of butterflies, collecting and documenting over 10,000 of them.
As a pioneer in wireless telegraphy, he secured his first patent in 1904 and was
the first to demonstrate the transmission of wireless telegraphy over land,
between Wilkes-Barre and Scranton PA, in 1905. Father was the founding pastor
and architect of Sacred Heart Slovak Church located on North Main St.,
Wilkes-Barre. The article in the Times Leader Newspaper called him a
Renaissance man.

The exhibit
featured:

Paintings:
Two (2) of his actual paintings.

Pictures:

Father’s birthplace, the
village of Tajov, Slovakia.

His home in Tajov.

The museum in Tajov.

The painting by an Hungarian
artist which he critiqued and caused his immigration to the United
States.

Historical pictures of Sacred
Heart Slovak Church, Wilkes-Barre.

Five (5) of his paintings.

The botanical garden he
envisioned.

The stamp honoring him printed
by the Slovak government.

The original radio towers in
Wilkes-Barre and Scranton where the first wireless message was sent over
land.

The rare weeping beech tree he
planted on Sacred Heart Church grounds over 100 years ago.

Newspaper
articles:

Showing his accomplishment in
the field of wireless radio.

The many Slovak organizations
he established.

The tributes and recognitions
in his honor.

His funeral.

Displays:

A part of his butterfly
collection.

Copies of his patents.

A portion of the exhibit room
was set up similar to his study, which included his chair.

The Murgaš Amateur Radio
Club’s display.

For those of you
who would like to visit Father Murgaš life, we have two slide shows.

Slide Shows:

The first slide
show (Exhibit's)
features some pictures of the exhibit. The second slide show (Father's
Life) features different facets of this “great Man who we call a genius
because he could do so many different things so well. I wonder if he slept?”